Effects of Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue on Balance Performance in Female Athletes

September 14, 2026 updated by: Berkay Löklüoğlu

Effects of Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue on Static and Dynamic Balance Performance in Female Athletes

Taekwondo is a high-intensity combat sport characterized by repeated explosive kicking actions and rapid changes in body position, requiring well-developed postural control to maintain technical performance and reduce injury risk. Although fatigue has been reported to impair balance performance, previous studies have primarily induced fatigue using non-specific laboratory protocols that do not adequately reflect the physiological and neuromuscular demands of taekwondo competition. Consequently, the effects of taekwondo-specific fatigue on static and dynamic balance performance remain insufficiently understood. The primary objective of this study will be to investigate the effects of a taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol on static and dynamic balance performance in female taekwondo athletes. Eighteen competitive female taekwondo athletes will participate in this single-group repeated-measures study. Following a familiarization session, participants will complete a standardized taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol consisting of three 2-minute rounds separated by 1-minute passive recovery periods, replicating the official Olympic competition format. Static and dynamic balance performance will be assessed before and immediately after the fatigue protocol using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Balance performance will be evaluated under static and dynamic testing conditions, and the Overall Stability Index, Anteroposterior Stability Index, and Mediolateral Stability Index will be recorded. The findings of this study are expected to improve understanding of the acute effects of sport-specific fatigue on postural control in female taekwondo athletes and may contribute to the development of evidence-based training and injury prevention strategies.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

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Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

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Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

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Study Locations

Participation Criteria

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Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female taekwondo athletes aged 18-20 years.
  • Regular participation in taekwondo training (minimum 3 sessions per week).
  • Minimum of 3 years of competitive taekwondo experience.
  • Free from musculoskeletal injury at the time of testing.
  • Willingness to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any musculoskeletal injury within the previous 6 months.
  • Neurological, vestibular, or balance disorders.
  • Lower-extremity surgery within the previous 12 months.
  • Any medical condition preventing participation in maximal exercise.
  • Failure to complete the testing protocol

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Experimental research design
Female taekwondo athletes will complete a standardized taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol. Static and dynamic balance performance will be assessed immediately before and after the fatigue protocol during a single experimental session.
Behavioral: Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue Protocol
Participants will perform a standardized taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol designed to reproduce the physiological and neuromuscular demands of an official taekwondo match. Static and dynamic balance performance will be evaluated immediately before and after completion of the protocol.
Behavioral: Static balance test
Static balance performance will be assessed using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Mean Overall Stability Index (OSI) score, mean Anteroposterior Stability Index (APSI) score, and mean Mediolateral Stability Index (MLSI) score will be calculated automatically by the system. The static balance condition will be combined with an eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level (a fixed support); this condition will designed to reflect support-fixed, vision-deprived postural control, where the participant must maintain postural stability without visual cues on a stable surface.
Behavioral: Dynamic balance test
Dynamic balance performance will be assessed using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Mean Overall Stability Index (OSI) score, mean Anteroposterior Stability Index (APSI) score, and mean Mediolateral Stability Index (MLSI) score will be calculated automatically by the system. The dynamic balance condition combines an eyes-open stance with the platform stability set to level 5 (an unstable platform that requires active postural adjustments). This condition will be designed to reflect visually guided, mechanically unstable postural control, where the participant must rely on real-time visual feedback to compensate for continuous platform tilt.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Overall Stability Index (OSI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
The Mean Overall Stability Index Score is the arithmetic mean of Overall Stability Index values automatically calculated by the Biodex system at the end of each 20-second single-leg stance trial. This index is a unitless score representing the standard deviation of platform tilt about both the anteroposterior and mediolateral axes combined; it reflects composite postural sway during the trial. Each participant completed the trial barefoot on her dominant lower extremity, under two within-subject conditions: (i) dynamic balance (eyes-open stance with the Biodex platform stability set to level 5), and (ii) static balance (eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level). The index is a unitless score representing the standard deviation of platform tilt about the corresponding axis; the theoretical minimum score is 0, which represents perfect postural stability. There is no fixed theoretical upper limit of these indices. Higher scores indicate poorer balance performance.
Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
Mean Mediolateral Stability Index (MLSI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
The Mean Mediolateral Stability Index Score is the arithmetic mean of Mediolateral Stability Index values automatically calculated by the Biodex Balance System at the end of each 20-second single-leg stance trial. This index is a unitless score representing the standard deviation of platform tilt about the frontal axis only; it reflects mediolateral sway and is associated with hip-abductor-driven postural control. Each participant will complete the trial barefoot on her dominant lower extremity (the foot preferred for kicking a ball) under two within-subject conditions: (i) dynamic balance (eyes-open stance with the Biodex platform stability set to level 5), and (ii) static balance (eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level). Theoretically, this index has a minimum value of 0, which represents perfect postural stability; there is no fixed theoretical upper limit. Higher scores indicate poorer balance performance.
Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
Mean Anterior-Posterior Stability Index (APSI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
The Mean Anterior-Posterior Stability Index Score is the arithmetic mean of Anterior-Posterior Stability Index values automatically calculated by the Biodex system at the end of each 20-second single-leg stance trial. This index is a unitless score representing the standard deviation of platform tilt about the sagittal axis only; it reflects anteroposterior sway and is associated with the ankle strategy of postural control. Each participant will complete the trial barefoot on her dominant lower extremity (the foot preferred for kicking a ball) under two within-subject conditions: (i) dynamic balance (eyes-open stance with the Biodex platform stability set to level 5), and (ii) static balance (eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level). Theoretically, this index has a minimum value of 0, which represents perfect postural stability; there is no fixed theoretical upper limit. Higher scores indicate poorer balance performance.
Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Age
Time Frame: Only baseline.
The mean chronological age of participants at the time of enrollment will be reported in years. Age will be derived from each participant's official identification date of birth and the calendar date of the first balance testing session. It will be used solely as a descriptive baseline demographic variable.
Only baseline.
Mean Body Mass Index
Time Frame: Only baseline.
Mean Body Mass Index is the arithmetic mean of participant-level BMI values aggregated from body mass (kg) and height (m) according to the standard formula BMI = body mass (kg) / height² (m²). Body mass will be measured in kilograms and standing height in centimeters by a single trained experimenter during the enrollment session. Each participant-level BMI is therefore a single aggregated value derived from two distinct unit-of-measure measurements; height (centimeters) and body mass (kilograms) are not reported separately. It will be used solely as a descriptive baseline demographic variable.
Only baseline.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Berkay Löklüoğlu

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 25, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 14, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 279

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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